This document discusses communities of practice (CoPs) and employee motivation for engagement in CoPs. It defines CoPs and outlines their benefits for organizations, including knowledge sharing, innovation, and competitive advantages. Motivating employee participation is important for CoP success. Both intrinsic motivators like meaningful work and extrinsic motivators like rewards can encourage participation. Managerial support and adequate resources are also crucial. CoPs should be assessed using non-traditional metrics focused on knowledge application and organizational impacts over time. Ongoing evaluation of motivational techniques is needed to address changing community and member needs.

2. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 1
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE
MOTIVATION FOR ENGAGEMENT
ABSTRACT
Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been a part of human society for thousands of years and
have ensured the transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next. CoPs have also been
organized to solve seemingly impossible global emergency situations with great success. Yet,
members’ motivation to participate can be difficult to sustain albeit the many benefits CoPs offer
both organizations and individuals alike. Organizations have the ability to implement techniques
to aid employee motivation. These techniques include both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and
resource support such as managerial facilitation and relevant technologies. The valuation of
CoPs requires the use of non-traditional metrics due to the far-reaching impact communities have
on both organizations and individuals. As CoPs are continuously changing, so are the needs of its
members. Thus, valuation is a valuable tool in both assessing the impact of change and
determining the motivational needs of the community.
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
CoPs are not new to our modern-day society. However, organizations systematically forming
these communities with intention is a relatively new practice. A Community of Practice (CoP) is
a meeting of the minds by a group of people that genuinely share the same passion for a common
interest and a “desire to learn from and contribute towards the community” (Kerno & Mace,
2010, p. 79). Insights about the topic of interest come about through the varying perspectives and

3. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 2
backgrounds of the participants. Members usually have relatively the same amount of expertise
and experience in an area. Having a similar level of expertise is helpful when solving a problem,
especially if that problem is complex. Some participants in a CoP are apprentices and stand to
gain even more “knowledge, skills, or abilities” in proportion to established expert members
(Kerno & Mace, 2010, p. 79). Due to the high level of expertise and widely various backgrounds,
CoPs have the influential power to determine how an organization moves forward to compete in
an ever-growing competitive global market economy.
BENEFITS OF COPS IN ORGANIZATIONS
Introducing a CoP into an organization may seem counterintuitive given that CoPs were
originally formed voluntarily. Yet, an organization that does not incorporate a CoP into its
structure may be left lagging too far behind to catch up to their competitors. In the quest for the
utility of knowledge for innovation, organizations are realizing the
value CoPs offer. These positive outcomes include, decreased
project delivery time, increased quality of project deliverables,
increased stakeholder alignment, indirect transfer of tacit
knowledge, recruitment and retention of workforce talent, and
discovery of hidden resources (Lee, Reinicke, Sarkar, &
Anderson, 2015, p. 47, 41; Pyrko, Dörfler, & Eden, 2017, p. 390;
Pohjola & Iskanius, n.d., p. 148; Miller, Eisenstat, & Foote, 2002,
p. 38). CoPs have also proven to be beneficial in their ability to
reduce the number of new operational procedures that are adopted
into the organization because the CoP acts as a screening process

4. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 3
in determining effective versus ineffective procedures (Cordery, et al., 2015, pp. 656-657). In
markets characterized by rapid change, CoPs help organizations keep a competitive advantage
due to their ability to continuously gain new capabilities (Pohjola & Iskanius, n.d., p. 148). Thus,
the competitive advantage gained is difficult to imitate because it did not originate through
imitation, but through innovation (Miller, Eisenstat, & Foote, 2002, p. 38).
It is important to point out that CoPs are not static in nature. Instead they continuously develop
towards improvement and capability enhancement in which one good outcome spawns another
(Miller, Eisenstat, & Foote, 2002, p. 45). These capabilities are highly beneficial due to their
ability to transcend across various products, departments, organizations, and industries to give
the organization a competitive advantage to remain relevant in the market (p. 48-49).
CoPs that include apprentices into the practice are providing a benefit to both the organization
and the individual through leadership development. CoPs are also beneficial to the organization
through knowledge collaboration of internal and external stakeholders, regardless if a change is a
conscious choice an organization makes, or if a change is mandated from an outside source.
MOTIVATING EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION
Forcing an individual to participate in a CoP is counterproductive. If employees feel the CoP is a
coverup for a micromanaged group project or an organization’s attempt to gain knowledge for
the sole benefit of the organization, then moral and employee engagement will be low. Since
engaged employees are more likely to be emotionally and intellectually bound to the
organization, motivation is an important factor to consider. When employees are engaged, levels

5. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 4
of absenteeism and turnover rates decrease, while levels of positive attitudes and job satisfaction
increase (Poornima & Srivastava, 2015, pp. 54, 59). Understanding how members are motivated,
gives an organization the ability to maximize actively involved participation in their CoPs.
According to research conducted by Burk and Sutton
(as cited in Pohjola, I. & Iskanius, P., n.d., p. 147), for a
CoP to be successful, it must be organized around its
members’ needs. Therefore it is important for
organizations to determine what motivates members,
both intrinsically and extrinsically. Employee surveys
are an excellent way to gain insight into the specifics of
what is important to members, and what they need to
operate successfully. Compounding motivation with
resource support, such as access to managerial support and relevant technology, leads to greater
participation intensity of CoP members resulting in greater beneficial impacts for both the
organization and the individual (Lee, Reinicke, Sarkar, & Anderson, 2015, pp. 41-42).
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
The job itself can be an intrinsic motivator as long as it is challenging, offers variety, allows for
autonomy, is meaningful, enables growth and is an opportunity for learning. The CoP must be
relevant to the employee in order for them to believe the practice will provide value and
meaning. Ensuring relevancy is properly and clearly communicated will help in motivating
employees to participate. If a CoP does not provide relevant, distinguishable and up-to-date
Based on figure from
(Lee, Reinicke,Sarkar, & Anderson,2015, p. 42)

6. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 5
information, employee participation will diminish, and the CoP will no longer be sustainable.
When organizations ensure topics within the CoP can be of utility for members, unique from
easily accessible outside sources, and kept current within the industry, they are providing an
environment for active participation.
Literature provides evidence that employees want to actively
participate in CoPs. In fact, members of CoPs rank “desire to
help others” and “desire to participate in team learning” as the
top two motivators for active participation (Black, 2014, p.
90). Management can support practice members’ motivation
to participate by keeping track of CoP conversations and
keeping relevant topics active by contributing to these
conversations. CoPs need to stay on topic to remain relevant.
Conversations also need to be specific, so the information shared can be easily applied to other
problems or situations (Pyrko, Dörfler, & Eden, 2017, p. 398). If it takes a member too long to
locate or make sense of the knowledge presented, they will feel they are not receiving any value
in exchange for their time. Sometimes a question is posted, yet never answered. Managements’
active role in conversations becomes vital in these situations to avoid demotivating members
from future participation. Another way management can keep members motivated to participate
is by clearly communicating expectations both at the beginning of the practice’s inception and
periodically thereafter. When individuals know what is expected of them, they can perform
accordingly.

7. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 6
EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION
Individuals are not only motivated from within. Outside sources can also contribute towards
motivation in a CoP. An important factor to consider is that members who are not participating
often fear they do not have anything worthwhile to contribute. Therefore, it is important for a
practice to be supportive, respectful of all members, and built on trust (Black, 2014, p. 111).
Managers can help in setting the culture of the CoP through their actions and interactions with
members. Also, ensuring a balanced ratio of experts to practitioners can keep members feel
valued (Pohjola & Iskanius, n.d., p. 147).
A balanced ratio also helps with leadership development by offering an opportunity for
practitioners to observe experts in action and for tacit
knowledge to be transferred to future generations. Transfer
of tacit knowledge is highly supportive in the development
of project managers within the organization (Lee, Reinicke,
Sarkar, & Anderson, 2015, p. 49). Thus, it can be concluded
that offering a knowledge worker whom is looking to
improve their leadership skills an opportunity to participate
in a CoP, is motivating in and of itself.
Leadership development is an extrinsic motivator that becomes intrinsic as the member decides
to pursue and acquire the goal. Another extrinsic motivator that has an intrinsic effect is
rewarding members for a job well done. Members can be rewarded through monetary means,
recognition, and status in the workplace. Since CoPs are highly social and collaborative,

8. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 7
rewarding the group for successes instead of the individual, is a good idea. Having members vote
on outstanding leadership within the practice is a way to reward top performers without
management singling anyone out. However, it is important to change the parameters for member
recognition, so all members have an opportunity to be selected. Making rewards and recognition
inclusive, keeps member motivation high. Another factor to consider when rewarding CoPs is to
align incentive with the long-term goals of the organization (Miller, Eisenstat, & Foote, 2002, p.
52).
RESOURCE SUPPORT
Unless participants have the resources needed to perform successfully, the CoP will not be able
to function even if employees are motivated to participate. An important contributing factor in
the success of a CoP is managerial support. However, CoPs do not function well under the
hierarchal systems of organizations. Since members of a practice enjoy autonomy, the role of a
manager transforms into that of a facilitator.
Organizational managers have a direct influence on employee job satisfaction and thus indirectly
influence motivation. There are behavioral techniques managers can adopt into their daily
routines when functioning as a CoP facilitator. These actions help to
increase the perception of solidarity in the facilitator-member
relationship. Suggestions include: being mindful of employees’ well-
being, encouraging idea sharing from employees, using good listening
etiquette, and being friendly toward others (MacDonald, Kelly, &
Christen, 2014, pp. 11-12). When members perceive a high level of

9. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 8
organizational support that includes strong leadership, performance is increased (Black, 2014, p.
110). Managerial support of a CoP also comes in the form of allotting members enough time to
actively participate. If members are not given enough time in the day to engage in the CoP, then
participation intensity lowers. Thus, managers need to balance employees’ schedules to ensure
enough time is allotted for active participation.
When sharing knowledge, members should not be faced with barriers preventing access or
participation in the CoP communication platforms. Members need access to technologies that
allow them to stay up-to-date and connected to stakeholders, both within and outside the
organization. In the fast paced ever changing global business environment of today, easy access
to communication is imperative. In a CoP, members are more likely to contribute towards and
utilize information sharing if appropriate technological structures are in place that make it easy to
access information and participate (Black, 2014, p. 111).
ASSESSING VALUE CREATION

10. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 9
When an organization wants to determine the return on investment (ROI) of a project, there are
various proven metrics that can be used. However, when determining the ROI of a CoP, it gets a
little more complicated as assessments
require the use of non-traditional
methods. The reason why
organizations need to assess CoPs
differently is because of the wide
spread effect CoPs have on the
organizations and individuals that are
both directly and indirectly involved.
Thus, practices are better assessed in
“how the knowledge they share, discuss, and create translates into improvements in an
organization’s operations” (Cordery, et al., 2015, p. 659). There are five values that are useful for
organizations to assess the practice’s contributions and where modifications may need to be
made in the motivational techniques currently in place. All five values will not always be used in
every situation, nor in the same order. Valuation is highly dependent on the organization’s
culture and needs (Wagner, Trayner, & de Laat, 2011, p. 21).
IMMEDIATE VALUE
Immediate value are activities that the organization can realize right away. For example,
members’ excitement to participate in a CoP boosts moral leading to an increase in productivity
and positive employee attitudes. If no immediate value is assessed, motivational techniques

11. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 10
being used need to be reassessed to ensure they align with the organization’s culture and
members’ needs.
POTENTIAL VALUE
Potential value is realized at a later point in time or never at all. Collaborative efforts can take
months or even years to prove valuable. Learning a new or better way of handling a problem has
value when this knowledge is used again or applicable to another situation. Until then, the
knowledge has only the potential to be valuable. Managers can facilitate reflective conversations
to ensure the new knowledge is transferred and thus increase the likelihood of the information
being applied when needed. Reflective conversations can aid members in realizing the
knowledge they acquired and motivate them to continue actively participating in the CoP.
APPLIED VALUE
When newly acquired knowledge is utilized, it has applied value. Often new knowledge is used
in a different way than in the context in which it was learned and leads to changes in procedures.
These changes can boost morale and participation intensity, especially if the changes have a
positive effect within the organization and its employees.
REALIZED VALUE
The effect change has on the organization can be positive or negative depending on what the
organization and its stakeholders’ value (p. 21). As mentioned earlier, when change is realized to
have a positive outcome, it motivates members to attempt to repeat the same outcomes. When

12. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 11
changes have a negative effect, the opposite result is likely, and participation will be lowered.
Manager facilitation is critical in such times.
REFRAMING VALUE
When CoPs cause their organizations and their stakeholders to reconsider how “success is
defined or measured,” it can lead to tension in the hierarchical organization (p. 21). The
reframing stage can take time as individuals learn more details and gain insight into the
possibilities change can offer. Reframing can also lead to great new opportunities and provide
the organization the competitive advantage it needs to survive.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Organizations and individuals both stand to benefit from CoPs in multiple ways. Organizations
have an opportunity to realize hidden resources having the potential to make the changes that
will enable them to have a competitive advantage in the market that is both unique to them and
difficult to imitate. Individuals have an opportunity to gain knowledge, self-confidence, and
develop their careers to become influential persons within their organizations. Strong leadership
is necessary to support CoPs and their members, so both can reach their full potential. Mangers
change their hierarchical roles and take on the role of facilitators to support CoPs through the
implementation of both implicit and explicit motivational techniques to increase participation
intensity. The more engaged employees are, the more loyal and productive they are. Participation
in a CoP can be a motivator on its own, however, compounding motivational efforts with
resources members need increases the beneficial impacts the organization and individuals
receive. These benefits can be measure through a valuation process designed to examine the

13. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 12
systemic effects CoPs provide. The outcomes of valuation guides managers to determine if and
when motivators need to be altered to accommodate changes in the members’ needs.
Research studies that demonstrate the link between a specific motivational technique’s use and
the short-term and long-term impacts it creates for the CoP and the organization would be
valuable. The research would be beneficial in creating a guide for facilitators to maximize the
positive impacts and effects CoPs can offer an organization and its employees. Defining impact
differences and similarities among various generations and years of work experience would also
be beneficial in isolating effects. Research should extend to those who are not participating in the
CoP for further insight into motivational factors.

14. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 13
References
Black, J. R. (2014). Online communities of practice in the contact center environment: Factors
that influence participation. Available from ProQuest Central (Order No. 3584507).
Cordery, L., Cripps, E., Gibson, C. B., Soo, C., Kirkman, B. L., & Mathieu, J. E. (2015). The
operational impact of organizational communities of practice: A Bayesian approach to
analyzing organizational change. Journal of Management, 41(2), 644-664.
doi:10.1177/0149206314545087.
Kerno, S. J., & Mace, S. L. (2010). Communities of practice: Beyond teams. Advances in
Developing Human Resources, 12(1), 78-92. doi:10.1177/1523422310365341.
Lee, L., Reinicke, B., Sarkar, R., & Anderson, R. (2015). Learning through interactions:
Improving project management through communities of practice. Project Management
Journal, 46(1), 40-52. doi:10.1002/pmj.
MacDonald, P., Kelly, S., & Christen, S. (2014). A path model of workplace solidarity,
satisfaction, burnout, and motivation. International Journal of Business Communication,
1-19. doi:10.1177/2329488414525467.
Miller, D., Eisenstat, R., & Foote, N. (2002). Strategy from the inside out: Building capability-
creating organizations. California Management Review, 44(3), 37-54.
Pohjola, I., & Iskanius, P. (n.d.). Communities of practice as a strategic tool for company
performance: A case study. 145-152. Retrieved from
http://libproxy.boisestate.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.libproxy.boisestate.edu/docview/1545344248?accountid=9649.

15. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE: EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION FOR E 14
Poornima, M., & Srivastava, S. (2015). Employee engagement, jobsatisfaction and demographic
relationship: An empirical study of private sector bank managers. FIIB Business Review,
4(2), 53-62.
Pyrko, I., Dörfler, V., & Eden, C. (2017). Thinking together: What makes communities of
practice work? Human Relations, 70(4), 389-409. doi:10.1177/0018726716661040.
Wagner, E., Trayner, B., & de Laat, M. (2011). Promoting and assessing value creation in
communities and networks: A conceptual framework. The Netherlands: Ruud de Moor
Centrum.